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original title:
Proteinuria in ambulatory HIV- infected patients managed at Muhimbili National Hospital

Doctor J. P. Kaswija, an internist from Tanzania, describes in his dissertation the significant problem of renal complications in patients with an HIV infection. HIV can, especially among Africans, in itself cause kidney defects that are characterized by the appearance of proteins in the urine, among other things. Moreover, some anti-viral drugs are potentially harmful to the kidneys. So far, most of the research on kidney defects in people with HIV has been carried out in the industrialized countries. Doctor Kaswija carried out a study in Tanzania, in which he collected data by way of interviews using a standard structured list of questions, physical examination and laboratory tests. In this study doctor Kaswija found that of 294 patients with an HIV-infection 11.9% had protein in the urine and 15% had a disturbed kidney function. Various risk factors that could cause kidney defects were identified, including the seriousness of the immune deficiency caused by HIV and the degree of the patient’s illness. Most patients had no kidney complaints, from which doctor Kaswija concludes that people with HIV should be systematically screened for the presence of protein in the urine by using urine test strips. For this is a simple and inexpensive test that gives an idea of a patient’s kidney function. He therefore also rightly recommends the adoption of this examination method in the follow-up of people with HIV in Africa. As a result, some kidney defects could be detected early on and treated or referred to more specialized medical institutions for further follow-up.